Italian Braised Pork Ribs with Pasta
User Reviews
5
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Prep Time
15 mins
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Cook Time
2 hrs
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Total Time
2 hrs 15 mins
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Servings
4
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Calories
897 kcal
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Course
Main Course
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Cuisine
Italian
Italian Braised Pork Ribs with Pasta
Description
Italian Braised Pork Ribs with Pasta features pork ribs prepared by trimming excess fat and cutting into smaller pieces for even cooking. The ribs are rubbed with salt and browned in olive oil to develop a caramelized crust. Aromatic vegetables including chopped onion, celery, carrot, bay leaf, and optional chili pepper are sautéed in the pan to build flavor. Cherry tomatoes and tomato passata are added along with wine to deglaze and enrich the sauce.
The ribs then braise slowly in the tomato mixture, absorbing the herbs and savory components while becoming tender. This slow cooking yields a sauce rich in body and depth, with balanced acidity from the tomatoes and fruitiness from the wine. The chosen pasta tubes—like elicoidali, rigatoni, or penne—are cooked separately and can be combined with the sauce to serve as a hearty main course.
This dish pairs well with robust red wines, crusty bread, or a simple side salad to complement the rustic Italian flavors. It is suitable for casual dinners where the substantial sauce and tender pork provide satisfying comfort food. The recipe’s use of fresh vegetables and seasoning creates a well-rounded, flavorful sauce.
The rib length can be adjusted by requesting the butcher to cut them into shorter pieces or using boneless ribs. Choosing ridged pasta tubes helps the sauce cling better, enhancing each bite. The recipe accommodates substitutions in pasta shapes and allows occasional chili addition for mild heat.
Ingredients
- 320 g elicoidali pasta 11oz) or rigatoni, tortiglioni, penne etc, tubes
- 800 g pork ribs (28 oz) in or off bone
- 1-2 carrot
- 1 onion
- 1-2 celery stalks
- 1 bay leaf
- ½ Chili pepper optional, aka peperoncino
- 350 g tomato passata or chopped peeled tomatoes (11oz)
- 8-10 cherry tomato
- ½ glass white wine or red if you prefer, dry
- 1 cup beef stock if required, or chicken stock
- salt for pasta and to taste
- black pepper to taste, ground
- 4-5 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
Instructions
- Trim some fat off the ribs and cut them in half. Most of mine didn’t have a hard bone. You can ask your butcher to do this or look for boneless ribs. Rub the ribs with some sea salt.
- Peel and finely chop the onion. Wash and finely chop the celery and carrots. Wash the cherry tomatoes. If using, chop the chili pepper into small pieces. Remove most the seeds so it’s less spicy!
- Heat the extra virgin olive oil in a deep pan and brown the ribs. Remove and set aside. You may need to do this in batches.
- Add the finely chopped onion, carrot and celery to the pan and cook for a few minutes. Don’t let them burn. Add more olive oil if necessary.
- Add the bay leaf, chili pepper and cherry tomatoes mix together and cook for a minute. Then add the browned pork ribs. Pour in the wine and turn up the heat so the alcohol evaporates.
- Now pour in the tomato passata/chopped peeled tomatoes and add salt and pepper to taste. Stir everything together and reduce the heat.
- Cook the sauce covered over a lowish heat for about 2 hours or until the meat is very tender and easy to remove from the bone. Exact cooking time depends on the size of your ribs. Check them after 90 minutes. Add some water or stock if the sauce reduces too much. Remove the lid for the last 30 minutes is the sauce is too liquidy.
- Put a pot of water onto boil for the pasta. Add salt once it starts to boil and bring to the boil again. Cook the pasta al dente according to the instructions on the packet.
- When the braised ribs are ready remove them from the sauce. Strip the meat from 3-4 and put back into the sauce. Keep the rest of the ribs with some sauce for another meal or course. You can serve them with potatoes or polenta.
- Alternatively you can strip the meat from all the ribs and eat with the pasta or serve the pasta and sauce with whole ribs!
- When the pasta is ready drain and add to the sauce. Mix together well and serve immediately. If you like, you can add chopped parsley or grated Parmigiano before serving!
Notes
- Shorter ribs are preferred; ask the butcher to cut long ribs in half or use boneless ribs for easier cooking.
- Suitable pasta options include rigatoni, penne rigate, tortiglioni, or other ridged tubes that catch the sauce well.
Nutrition Information
Show DetailsNutrition Facts
Serving: 4Serving
Amount Per Serving
Calories 897 kcal
% Daily Value*
| Calories | 897kcal | 45% |
| Carbohydrates | 75g | 25% |
| Protein | 36g | 72% |
| Fat | 48g | 74% |
| Saturated Fat | 13g | 65% |
| Polyunsaturated Fat | 8g | 47% |
| Monounsaturated Fat | 22g | 110% |
| Trans Fat | 0.3g | 15% |
| Cholesterol | 112mg | 37% |
| Sodium | 279mg | 12% |
| Potassium | 1199mg | 26% |
| Fiber | 5g | 20% |
| Sugar | 10g | 20% |
| Vitamin A | 3167IU | 63% |
| Vitamin C | 20mg | 22% |
| Calcium | 77mg | 8% |
| Iron | 5mg | 28% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
User Reviews
Overall Rating
5
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